Advertising display device



April 27, 1965 E. LARSON ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1962IN VENT OR. EUGENE LARSON A T TORNEVS United States Patent 3,180,043ADVERTESIIIG DISPLAY DEVHIE Eugene Larson, l'iiiilbrae, alif., assignmtoNational Industrial Equipment (30., a corporation Filed Sept. 26, 1952,Ser. No. 226,321 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-37) My invention relates to machinesuseful in attracting attention to a sales point; for example, for use ina supermarket to attract attention to a particular area in which ademonstration is being given or a particular display is arranged.

It is desirable to have some means effective despite the surroundingWelter of advertising displays to attract particular attention from evenremote points to a designated area, usually a certain spot within astore, for example. The display device should have eye-catching motionbut should be relatively simple mechanically so as to operate withoutcritical supervision. The device should occupy a small amount of floorspace, which usually is at a premium. The device also should be such asnot to be in any wise dangerous to any of the patrons, particularlychildren, and to resist tampering.

It is therefore an object of my invent-ion to provide an advertisingdisplay device to meet the foregoing requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an advertising displaydevice which can be moved about from time to time so as to change thefocus of attention.

Another object of the invention is to provide an advertising displaydevice which will attract attention by using some of the now unusedoverhead space in a supermarket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, straightforward,safe and efiective advertising display device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an advertisingdisplay device which can be stored in a relatively small compass, yetwhich can make an extended display when in operation.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodimentof the invention described in the accompanying description andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric perspective View showing the advertisingdisplay device of the invention as it ap pears in operation;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View, the section being taken on atransverse vertical plane through the advertisin-g display device of theinvention; and

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view with portions of the structure broken awayat successively lower levels to show the interior construction of thedevice.

While the advertising display device pursuant to the invention can beincorporated in a number of different ways, it has successfully beencommercially embodied as illustrated. The device is adapted to be movedabout within an enclosure such as a supermarket and includes a frame,generally designated 6, including a number of structural members such asangles and plates or sheets to afford a generally upright device movableabout the floor on supporting casters 7. The frame also includes a pairof side plates 8 and 9 as well as a rear plate 11 and a forward plate12. These serve partially as structural members and partially to enclosethe four sides of a chamber, generally designated 13, having arectangular shape in plan. The plates 8, 9, 11 and 12 do not extend asfar as the floor, but are spaced therefrom to leave a freely accessibleopen bottom for the chamber 13. The bottom opening is partiallyobstructed by a transversely extending horizontal screen 14 suitablyfastened in place.

Spanning the four sides of the chamber 13 at an ap- "ice propriateelevation is a transversely extending shroud plate 16 having downturnedflanges 1'7-secured appropriately to the four sides of the chamber andhaving an upstanding flange 18 constituting a circular shroud banddefining a circular opening 19.

Extending across the opening 19 and secured to the frame 6 are channels21 and 22 hearing insulating supports 23 with which fasteners .24 areassociated. An electric motor 26 is suspended by the fasteners 24through the insulating supports 23 on the channels 21 and 22 and is thussymmetrically located within the frame 6. The drive shaft 27 of themotor is disposed with its axis vertical. At the upper end of the motorshaft 27 a fan 28 is fastened. In this instance a multi bladed axialflow fan is used and is efiiciently located within the opening 19 in anappropriate position with regard to the shroud flange 18.

Also spanning the interior of the frame 6 and in effect dividing thechamber 13 into a lower compartment cont-aining the fan and motor and anupper compartment 31 is a screen 32 secured at its sides to the variouswalls 8, 9, 1-1 and 12 and in effect duplicating the lower screen 14.

The upper portion of the chamber 13 and of the compartment 311 issubstantially closed by a cover 33. This is preferably an appropriatelycontoured metal sheet mounted by a hinge 34'- on the front wall 12. Thecover 33 encloses the upper compartment 3-1 except that the cover 33 hasa gradually curved portion 36 leading into an upright wall 3-7 parallelto and spaced from an up wardly extending portion 33 of the Wall 1-1.These upwardly extending portions together with extensions on the sidewalls 8 and 9 help to define an upwardly opening elongated rectangularoutlet 33. The air outlet 39 is or" considerably less area than that ofthe opening 19 and the contours of the chamber 13, particularly of thecompartment 3-1, are such that air induced to fi-ow in through the inletscreen 14 and accelerated by the fan 23 is directed through the outlet39 in a generally upward direction at a relatively high velocity, verylittle of the force imparted by the fan being dissipated in unnecessaryeddy currents. in effect, an upwardly extending air curtain comparableto an elongated thin air jet is afforded.

The discharge outlet 3-9 is divided into a number of nearly squareopenings by a plurality of partitions 41 extending across the outlet.The partitions are conveniently made in the form of channels secured byfastenings 42 to the extension of the wall 11. The partitions extendfrom a point flush with the upper edges of the wall 37 and the wallportion 33 downwardly about to the entrance curve 36. The partitionsalso serve as abutments for the upwardly turned wall 37 of the cover 33.The wall 37 is normally urged against the partitions and the end wallsand the cover is retained in closed position by wing nuts 4-4- engagingappropriate studs on the frame 6.

Particularly pursuant. to the invention, the frame 6 and especially thepartitions 41 are utilized as anchor or fastening points for a number ofstreamers 46. These streamers are conveniently of a very flexible lightmaterial such as reinforced paper or cloth or plastic of a length whichis considerably greater than the height of the frame 6. The streamers 46have a width substantially the same as or slightly less than that of theopenings defined by the partitions 41. At its lower end each streamer issecured by a fastening 47 to an individual one of the partitions.

When the device is operating, as shown in FIGURE 1, with the motor 26energized and the fan 28 inducing an air flow from the inlet screen 14through the chamber 13 and the compartment 3 1 and out the outlet 39,the stream ers 46 are impelled into substantially vertical positions.

The lower portions of the streamers are nearly straight with relativelysmall vibrations usually, but the upper portions, where the air velocityis somewhat less directional, wave and move about with random motions.The velocity of efflux of the air is sufficient to extend the streamers46 upwardly, in a practical case about eighteen (to twenty feet abovethe floor, so that the upper ends of the streamers particularly,Whipping and moving about and preferably being of bright coloredmaterials, can be readily seen from a distance and attract considerableattention. All the time that the device is operating the streamers aresubstantially air supported and are largely blown upward- 1y into anupper space of the supermarket not otherwise used.

During the operation of the fan the screen 14 keeps out anymiscellaneous debris which might otherwise enter and the size of theopenings between the partitions 41 in the outlet 39 is such that nosizeable debris can be introduced therein. Debris small enough to enterthe openings is usually expelled readily without harm, or, if it happensto be heavy, may even fall into the machine as far as the screen 32, butis thereby kept from getting into the fan mechamsm.

When the device is to be shut down, the motor 26 is turned off and asthe air velocity dies out, the streamers 46 fall by gravity. Thestreamers then can be individually rolled, folded or otherwise compactedand introduced through the openings between the partitions 41 part wayinto the compartment 31. If they are so introduced with some regularityand a small amount of care, they are well stowed out of the way. Thenwhen the device is re-energized for subsequent use the air velocity fromthe fan is sufficient to blow the streamers out of their somewhat foldedcondition from the openings and into their upright display position asshown in FIGURE 1. Alternatively, the wing nuts 44 can be removed andthe cover 33 opened so that the falling streamers can be positioned atrandom within the compartment 31. Then when the cover is restored to itsclosed condition and the wing nuts 44 retightened, the mechanism is safefrom any ordinary tampering.

Pursuant to the invention, there has been provided very simply aneffective display device which can be utilized in any of variousdifferent locations and which attracts attention by an animated displayrather high in the air and alluring to an observer.

What is claimed is:

An advertising display device comprising a portable frame, means on saidframe providing a chamber, said chamber being closed on four sides andhaving an air inlet at the bottom, means on said frame for supporting anelectric motor with the drive shaft of said motor vertical, a shroudplate disposed horizontally on said frame and having a circular opening,a fan mounted on said drive shaft and disposed in said opening, a screendisposed horizontally on said frame and overlying said fan, an openablecover disposed on said frame and closing the top of said chamber exceptfor an air outlet and defining a compartment between said cover and saidscreen, a plurality of partitions extending across said outlet from saidframe to said cover, a plurality of streamers, and means for securingsaid streamers at the lower end of each to said partitions to disposesaid streamers at a plurality of horizontally spaced points across saidframe and adjacent said outlet in position to be supported substantiallyvertically and in side-by-side relationship above said outlet by airblown from said inlet through said outlet by said fan and in position tobe passed through said outlet between said partitions and to be receivedwithin said compartment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,250 8/29Burgess 40-218 1,788,921 :1/31 Maas 40-37 2,250,618 7/41 Austin 98-102,348,250 5/44 Gardner 40-1063 2,464,460 3/49 Pack 40-40625 2,903,8179/59 McLain et al. 40 106.25 X 2,911,745 11/59 Simon 46-44 X FOREIGNPATENTS 722,081 6/42 Germany.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. E. Y, BENHAM, LAWRENCE CHARLES,Examiners,

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